1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to multimedia output devices that have embedded encryption functionality, and in particular to methods and systems that encrypt content and provide electronic output and associated paper output that provides information about the decryption.
2. Background of the Invention
Frequently, users need to maintain security of electronic data. Data encryption is one of the most effective ways to achieve data security. To read an encrypted file, one needs to have access to a key or password that enables a user to decrypt the file. A one-time pad algorithm is a well-known encryption algorithm used by some very secure encryption systems. According to this technique, the decryption key is of the same length as the data that needs to be encrypted. As a result, this technique presents difficulties for users because they cannot remember long strings of random characters.
Alternative solutions to using the one-time pad algorithm are known. One solution requires users to provide their own passwords that are used to encrypt data. However, user-provided passwords are often vulnerable to password cracking techniques.
Another solution requires users to register with some authority, such as a public-key authority, to set up a public-private key pair used to encrypt and decrypt the data. However, most people do not have time to set up such keys.
To overcome the limitations of existing encryption techniques, it has been known to embed encryption functionality in computing devices. These computing devices are adapted to generate keys used to encrypt or decrypt data. To produce a paper output of the generated key, these devices need to send instructions to a printer or other output device. In addition, if a user desires to create multiple copies of the encrypted data, the computing device needs to be equipped with a plurality of removable media devices. Thus, if a user desires to have multiple copies of the encrypted data in the electronic format as well as a paper output of the generated key, a user needs to have at least a computing device having encryption functionality, a printer, and a device capable of writing encrypted data to multiple removable media devices.
Furthermore, existing computing devices that embed encryption functionality do not generate separate keys for each encrypted data. This is undesirable because it reduces the security of the system because multiple encrypted data would share the same key.
Accordingly, what is needed is a device that embeds the encryption functionality of the conventional computing device without the limitations of conventional techniques for outputting decryption information.